The Young Professional’s Guide to the Working World is a significant works as its focus is toward guiding young professionals, millennials, in the first years of their corporate careers.
— Marshall Goldsmith: New York Times Best-Selling Author of What Got You Here Won't Get You There and MOJO

BOOK RESOURCES

Global Class: How the World's Fastest-Growing Companies Scale Globally by Focusing Locally

#2 WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER and NATIONAL BESTSELLER - The Playbook for Building a Global Company.

Learn how 250+ of the world's fastest growing companies (from 50+ countries) successfully scaled globally including: Google, Zoom, Airbnb, Slack, Apple, Canva, Flexport, Zendesk, Rakuten, Salesforce and MANY more!

Endorsed by 45+ top corporate executives, unicorn startup founders, investors and bestselling authors. Next Big Idea Club Nominee (Aug 2022)

"Global Class is not just a summary of company anecdotes. It is a call to action for businesses and their leaders to embrace a new approach when growing internationally... it provides a comprehensive playbook for how to navigate the challenges of going global." - Financial Times (fDi Intelligence)

"Achieving global scale takes iteration while managing complexity. In Global Class, Aaron & Klaus provide the playbook you need to navigate these changes and reach global scale." - Eric Ries, Bestselling Author of The Lean Startup

WHAT is Global Class?
The business world has changed and to stay ahead companies have to think, operate and scale differently. Companies need to adopt a new mindset and build distributed teams with a unique set of skills to succeed in new markets. A new strategic approach and revision to the agile methodology are necessary to better balance the need to localize with the complexity that localization creates.

To date, business leaders have had to learn how to scale globally the hard way - through trial, error and failure - since no guidebook existed to light the way... until now.

Enter Global Class.

Global Class is the playbook that teaches you how to build teams, manage a diverse international footprint, and balance cultural differences to scale globally by focusing locally. Through case studies and insights from more than 250 of the world's fastest growing companies, Aaron McDaniel and Klaus Wehage illuminate what this new class of business ("Global Class Companies") do to succeed, who are the catalysts of their growth ("Interpreneurs") and how they do it.

From market entry to international growth, Global Class introduces a comprehensive tool kit of practical frameworks that provide a blueprint for how to build and manage a global business.

Global Class is the essential playbook for reaching global scale for businesses of all sizes and stages.

Global Class' mission is to make global growth a shared experience (instead of the solitary one it traditionally has been) and save companies time and money that is often wasted in the process of approaching international growth, the wrong way.


The Young Professional's Guide to the Working World

Career Press, Foreword by Marshall Goldsmith, New York Times Best-Selling Author of What Get You Here Won't Get You There.

School does not teach you how to be successful at work.

The Young Professional's Guide to the Working World provides important insights on the topics essential to success within the first 5-10 years of any corporate career, including:

  • How to get promoted faster and drive results not matter what your industry or job title

  • The 25 attributes all successful young professionals possess

  • How to avoid being a DOPE (someone who Disses Opportunity, Potential & Earnings)

  • The keys to becoming a STAR in your career (someone who is Savvy, Tenacious, Adaptive & Resourceful)

  • How to create and implement a career development plan

  • Leveraging mentoring to ensure career success


Download Resources


CHAPTER 2: DON'T BE THE DOPE: THE SUCCESSFUL YOUNG PROFESSIONAL'S MINDSET

STAR PRE-ASSESSMENT

Click the button below to take a brief assessment that will help you see where you are on the spectrum of DOPE to STAR in each of the major categories discussed in the book.


CHAPTER 3: CHECK YOUR EGO AT THE DOOR: DULLING THE SENSE OF ENTITLEMENT

FREE "PARTICIPATION" GIFT

Click the button below to get your free gift for reading the book and using the resources referenced in the Explore Online sections of the book.


CHAPTER 9: FINDING THE LESSON IN EVERY EXPERIENCE: THE POWER OF HAVING PERSPECTIVE

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS LIST OF BOOKS TO READ

Click the button below to see the list of books that all young professionals should consider reading to help build a solid foundation for a successful career.


CHAPTER 11: KNOWING THE YOU DON'T KNOW IT ALL: BUILDING SELF-AWARENESS

CAREER FOUNDATION BLUEPRINT

Here is a diagram and summary of the foundational traits of the STAR young professional.


CHAPTER 11: KNOWING THE YOU DON'T KNOW IT ALL: BUILDING SELF-AWARENESS

STRUCTURAL/FRAME ATTRIBUTES PRE-ASSESSMENT

Click the button below to take a brief assessment that will help you see where you are on the spectrum of DOPE to STAR in each of the Frame attributes discussed in Part III of the book.


CHAPTER 12: THE GOAL OF EVERY JOB: SERVING YOUR CUSTOMER

CUSTOMER CANVAS

This is a template that adapts the Business Canvass Model to focus on better understanding your customer and creating higher customer satisfaction


CHAPTER 16: HARD WORK, THE SMART WAY: BE RESOURCEFUL

PRO RESOURCES

Check out a list of the top career resources for young professionals on our Pro Resources page.


CHAPTER 19: BECOME A JUGGLER: THE ART OF MULTITASKING

CAREER FRAME BLUEPRINT

Here is a diagram and summary of the structural traits of the STAR young professional that focuses on the how of what you do.


CHAPTER 19: BECOME A JUGGLER: THE ART OF MULTITASKING

EXTERIOR ATTRIBUTES PRE-ASSESSMENT

Click the button below to take a brief assessment that will help you see where you are on the spectrum of DOPE to STAR in each of the Exterior attributes discussed in Part IV of the book.


CHAPTER 27: THE DETERMINING FACTOR OF SUCCESS IN YOUR CAREER: GETTING RESULTS

CAREER EXTERIOR BLUEPRINT

Here is a diagram and summary of the structural traits of the STAR young professional that are visible to your boss and co-workers. These traits are more about how others perceive you, over what you do or how you do it.


CHAPTER 28: CRAFTING YOUR OWN STAR MINDSET

CAREER BLUEPRINT TEMPLATES

Click here to access the career blueprint templates that will help you plan your career goals and map out how you will leverage mentoring and other resources to reach them.


CHAPTER 29: PUTTING YOUR STAR MINDSET INTO ACTION

PEER SECTION GUIDE

Here is a quick overview of how to effectively utilize the resource available to you through the PEER section of the SparkSource website that is an anonymous forum where you can get (and give) career advice from both your peers and career experts.

The Young Professional's Guide to Managing

Career Press, Foreword by Jim Kouzes, Author of The Leadership Challenge.

One of the hardest challenges in anyone's career is transitioning from being a employee responsible yourself to a manager responsible for others. 

The Young Professional's Guide to Managing fills this void with a mix of relevant tips and stories. It is an essential guide for all new managers and emerging leaders, providing insights, including: 

  • How to successfully transition to being a manager, from the very first day

  • The 10 skills all young professionals must develop to thrive as STAR managers

  • Managing people of different generations

  • How to hire, develop, and lead teams to incredible results

  • Advanced strategies for young managers, including how to fire under-performing employees and how to squash office politics


Download Resources


CHAPTER 1: THE 25 ATTRIBUTES OF THE SUCCESSFUL YOUNG PROFESSIONAL (THEY APPLY TO MANAGERS TOO!)

MANAGEMENT BASICS PRE-ASSESSMENT

Click the button below to take a brief assessment to help you see where you are on the spectrum of DOPE to STAR in each of the Management Basics attributes discussed in Part I of the book.


CHAPTER 2: TRANSITIONING TO MANAGER: YOU'RE NOT AN INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTOR ANYMORE

FIRST TEAM MEETING GUIDE

Click to find a guide to walk-through during the first meeting you have with your team.


CHAPTER 2: TRANSITIONING TO MANAGER: YOU'RE NOT AN INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTOR ANYMORE

FIRST ONE-ON-ONE MEETING GUIDE

Here is a resources to assist you during your first one-on-one meetings with your employees.


CHAPTER 2: TRANSITIONING TO MANAGER: YOU'RE NOT AN INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTOR ANYMORE

FIRST 30 DAYS CHECKLIST

This is a checklist of items that all managers should do within the first 30 days of managing a team.


CHAPTER 7: IT DEPENDS: THE CONTINGENCY APPROACH TO MANAGEMENT

MANAGEMENT BASICS BLUEPRINT

Here is a diagram and summary of the Management Basics discussed in Part I of the book.


CHAPTER 7: IT DEPENDS: THE CONTINGENCY APPROACH TO MANAGEMENT

10 SKILLS OF STAR MANAGERS PRE-ASSESSMENT

Click the button below to take a brief assessment that will help you see where you are on the spectrum of DOPE to STAR in each of the 10 Skills of STAR Managers attributes discussed in Part II of the book.


CHAPTER 8: BUILDING AN UNSTOPPABLE TEAM: INTERVIEWING, IDENTIFYING TALENT, AND HIRING

STAR MANAGER'S INTERVIEW GUIDE

This guide provides you with all the categories to go through when evaluating and interviewing candidates.


CHAPTER 12: MANAGERS ARE COACHES: DEVELOPING YOUR TEAM THROUGH FEEDBACK AND BEYOND

ONE-ON-ONE REVIEW WORKSHEET

Here is a tool to use when you have one-on-one reviews with your employees.


CHAPTER 12: MANAGERS ARE COACHES: DEVELOPING YOUR TEAM THROUGH FEEDBACK AND BEYOND

PERFORMANCE REVIEW WORKSHEET

For more periodic reviews (quarterly, bi-annually, annually), use this tool to help guide your focus and conversation.


CHAPTER 17: YOU CAN'T DO IT ALL BY YOURSELF: DRIVING RESULTS THROUGH OTHERS

10 SKILLS OF STAR MANAGERS BLUEPRINT

Here is a diagram and summary of the 10 Skills of STAR Managers discussed in Part II of the book.


CHAPTER 18: THE MANAGER'S BLUEPRINT: BUILDING AND REFINING YOUR MANAGEMENT STYLE

STAR MANAGER BLUEPRINT TEMPLATE

This is a comprehensive worksheet to help you develop your management style and decide the most effective way to lead your team.


CHAPTER 19: MANAGING YOURSELF: CONTINUAL DEVELOPMENT AND IMPROVEMENT AS A MANAGER

RECOMMENDED READING LIST

Click the button below to see the list of books that all young managers should read.